3 Reasons Why It’s So Important To Have Your Own Style

In a recent debate I had with a few producers, we realized that music styles come and go, and styles change. Music fans will cling on to whatever genre is popular, no matter how dumb the sound may be.

But there are some forms of music that always seem to stick around, no matter what. Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, etc. are all genres that have a huge following, yet they morph into variations of themselves. This is why it’s important to have your own style.

1. It Will Set You Apart From The Rest

The main reason why you want your music to be unique is because it will set you apart from everyone else. We all know the game; producers are making beats that sound like what everyone else is doing, but that’s both a good and bad thing to do.

The Good

It’s good to make music that people will enjoy listening to because it will open lots of doors for you, which can lead to things like record deals, money, and networking

The Bad

You don’t want to sound like everyone else and get lost in the shuffle. We see it far too often, and although it’s tempting to want to make a style like Trap music, it can actually backfire on you.

By setting yourself apart with your own style, that will instantly draw people to you. It’s a bit messed up though, because on one hand some people won’t want to hear your style because it’s not what’s popular, but there will definitely be some that will want to hear your music. Create a following from those people, and surely the rest will join in (but your music has to be good!).

2. Music Changes, But You Will Still Have Your Own Style

Music is always changing, sometimes for the better, but a lot of times that’s not the case. Take Hip Hop for example:

We all know that it used to be amazing, with all the great music coming out in the 1980’s and early to mid-1990’s. It has definitely changed over the years, and although there are some great songs being produced, there’s still a lot to be desired. Many of the “Boom Bap” style of beats are still around, and that’s because that was the style that got stuck in many Hip Hop fans’ heads since the 90’s. The style just works and is perfect for Hip Hop, but now it’s moved on to different styles.

Having a style like the Boom Bap era style, will solidify you in the production game as the go-to guy. Someone like DJ Premier is still doing the same style of beats that he did back in the day, and he’s still in demand, even if it is mainly for underground artists. At least his style is still wanted, and his name still means something in the Hip Hop world.

3. It’s Marketable

Marketing is one of the toughest things that you will have to face if you want to make a name for yourself, but by having your own unique style, it makes it that much easier.

Take for example, someone like Kanye West. He has a distinct style both in his production, and his vocal delivery. He also has “the look” with the shades and beard, so when you add all that up, he’s very marketable.

You can do the same thing, even if you just focus on your beats. DJ Premier has done it, and you will often hear people say, “that’s a Premo-style beat” when listening to someone’s beats. I know a producer whose style is exactly tailored after Premier’s, and even though you could say he’s copying him, it still stands out because people will say, “wow, your beats sound a lot like Premier’s”. For some artists, that’s good enough, and that producer will be able to sell beats based on that style. Marketing!